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What is a chalk stream, how do they work, and what makes them so special?
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How do chalk streams work?
Did you know that sections or sometimes whole chalk streams can dry up all together?
Chilterns Streams
Find out more about the chalk streams which rise in the Chiltern hills. Chalk streams are a key feature...
Wildlife
The water that feeds chalk streams rises in springs from the chalk aquifer below, producing ‘gin clear’ waters, which remain...
Scarp slope streams
Humans have been drawn to flowing water from the very earliest times, and the chalk streams and springs of the Chiltern Hills are no exception.
History
Humans have been drawn to flowing water from the very earliest times, and the chalk streams and springs of the Chiltern Hills are no exception.
Chalk streams
Chalk streams are fed by spring water, provided by the underground aquifer. The streams are famously ‘gin-clear’, with clean gravel river beds and good growth of aquatic plants like water crowfoot. The undeground source ensures a near constant temperature year round. This, along with the high mineral content, helps them to support a huge diversity of life.
Chalk streams follow an annual cycle with sections, or sometimes whole streams, drying up in late summer / autumn. Watch our film to learn more about how these fascinating ecosystems work.
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